Today I learned that the MTA hates me.

[CoffeeIncluded]

For those who don't know, the MTA is the head of public transportation in New York City. They also run some buses outside the city.

So after my internship today, I was taking the bus home by myself for the first time, since my parents were at the doctor. I thought that the bus I needed (Bus A) stopped right outside where I have the internship took me to the train station just a half-mile from home, but as I then learned, I had to take another bus (Bus B) that stopped, and then transfer to Bus A that I needed to get on.

I told the driver of Bus B and went to pay my fare...Only to learn that the Metrocard that my mom loaned me (I had used up mine) only had 20 cents left on it...And the bus fare is $2.25. In coins only. And I had dollar bills. I had to ask for change from the other passengers.

So the bus driver gives me my transfer ticket and kicks me off at the next stop. I'm waiting for 20 minutes in the sweltering heat (90 degrees Farenheit) and finally Bus A comes by...AND DRIVES RIGHT PAST ME! Bus A won't come by again for another 30 minutes, and I can't stay outside that long! 10 minutes later Bus B comes by, and the different driver is actually nice and agrees to take me to the end of the line for free, since the other guy kicked me off.

Now I'm about 5 blocks from a friend's house. I go there and ask for help. Unfortunately, she and her sister are unable to drive me home, and they have to go in a few minutes, but they are willing to let me sit and recover from the heat. We talk for a while, and then I have to go and find a way to get home.

Turns out that taking Bus A would be a waste of time, and the easiest way I can get home now is to walk home. For two miles. In 90 degree weather with a lot of humidity.

I just got home. What should have been a 15-minute trip took nearly 3 hours. And my parents have just come home. Next time, they're driving me back.

Oh, and I lost my sunglasses.

[Pyrian]

I thought New York City was supposed to be the one place in the U.S. where the public transportation was relatively feasible. My illusions are shattered!

[Thajocoth]

I've never tried to take NYC buses. The subways usually get close enough to wherever I need to go. Were there no subways in the area?

Then again, when I lived in the city, I walked almost everywhere...

[Dallas-Dakota]

Didn't you know already? Public Transport everywhere hates everybody.

Sometimes they just wait a bit before they crush your spirit.

[SurlySeraph]

I thought New York City was supposed to be the one place in the U.S. where the public transportation was relatively feasible. My illusions are shattered!

It is (in addition to Boston, Chicago, D.C., and probably some other cities), but there's so much public transportation that some mistakes are inevitable. And the buses are certainly worse than the subways in that regard, though they're usually pretty good.

[CoffeeIncluded]

I've never tried to take NYC buses. The subways usually get close enough to wherever I need to go. Were there no subways in the area?

Then again, when I lived in the city, I walked almost everywhere...

There aren't any subways where I live. The only way feasible home other than walking ten miles was the bus.

[Raistlin1040]

Seattle has a good bus system as well. I've never had a problem with it, but I don't take it on a regular basis. I've taken a lot of public transportation stuffed into a week or two in Boston, New York, and London and have never had a problem.

[Mystic Muse]

Will this help at all by chance?

Also, I'm offering internet hugs.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Will this help at all by chance?

Also, I'm offering internet hugs.

Thank you. *Hugs*

Seattle has a good bus system as well. I've never had a problem with it, but I don't take it on a regular basis. I've taken a lot of public transportation stuffed into a week or two in Boston, New York, and London and have never had a problem.

The main problem is that the driver was a jerk and kicked me off at the first bus stop, even though I paid the fare and needed to go further. (It took me a moment to make change for a dollar, but of course I paid the fare!) And then the bus I was supposed to go on just drove right past me!

[Mystic Muse]

The main problem is that the driver was a jerk and kicked me off at the first bus stop, even though I paid the fare and needed to go further. (It took me a moment to make change for a dollar, but of course I paid the fare!) And then the bus I was supposed to go on just drove right past me!

There should be some law concerning when a person deserves a fist to the face.

Did the song help at all by chance?

[CoffeeIncluded]

There should be some law concerning when a person deserves a fist to the face.

Did the song help at all by chance?

Yeah, the song helped. Thanks.

[Tirian]

You can call and complain if you'd like. In addition to noting that you paid the fare, you might also point out that you suffered heat stroke from having to walk where you were going. I'm pretty sure that the MTA rules specify that they shouldn't kick someone off a bus when it would threaten their safety, and the weather you're having down there is a prime example of that.

I am not a New Yorker, but I suspect that a bus passing you is not out of order. If they're too full to take on more passengers, then they will make stops to drop people off.

[Deathslayer7]

You can call and complain if you'd like. In addition to noting that you paid the fare, you might also point out that you suffered heat stroke from having to walk where you were going. I'm pretty sure that the MTA rules specify that they shouldn't kick someone off a bus when it would threaten their safety, and the weather you're having down there is a prime example of that.

I am not a New Yorker, but I suspect that a bus passing you is not out of order. If they're too full to take on more passengers, then they will make stops to drop people off.

indeed. it alsmo might have been a different bus rather then the one you needed. Slim chance but still.

[mucat]

For what it's worth, Cof, MTA hates me too, and I live 3000 miles away from them. That's how mean they are.

Clearly, Driver B was an absolute jackass for kicking you off the bus...but in defense of the Bus A that passed you, sometimes buses are too full to take on any more passengers. That may or may not have been his reason.

My suggestion? Get a bicycle! Those 10 miles will fly by, and you'll have a great time in the process. (OK, you might wait till the current heat wave ends before diving right in to that way of doing things...)

[CoffeeIncluded]

You can call and complain if you'd like. In addition to noting that you paid the fare, you might also point out that you suffered heat stroke from having to walk where you were going. I'm pretty sure that the MTA rules specify that they shouldn't kick someone off a bus when it would threaten their safety, and the weather you're having down there is a prime example of that.

I am not a New Yorker, but I suspect that a bus passing you is not out of order. If they're too full to take on more passengers, then they will make stops to drop people off.

At this point it wouldn't be worth it. And I got heat exhaustion, not heat stroke.

And no, the bus wasn't full. Not even close.

indeed. it alsmo might have been a different bus rather then the one you needed. Slim chance but still.

No, it was the bus I needed.

For what it's worth, Cof, MTA hates me too, and I live 3000 miles away from them. That's how mean they are.

Clearly, Driver B was an absolute jackass for kicking you off the bus...but in defense of the Bus A that passed you, sometimes buses are too full to take on any more passengers. That may or may not have been his reason.

My suggestion? Get a bicycle! Those 10 miles will fly by, and you'll have a great time in the process. (OK, you might wait till the current heat wave ends before diving right in to that way of doing things...)

I have a bike. There's no way I could have brought it there, much less ridden it in this heat. Thanks though.

[Lord Loss]

For those who don't know, the MTA is the head of public transportation in New York City. They also run some buses outside the city.

So after my internship today, I was taking the bus home by myself for the first time, since my parents were at the doctor. I thought that the bus I needed (Bus A) stopped right outside where I have the internship took me to the train station just a half-mile from home, but as I then learned, I had to take another bus (Bus B) that stopped, and then transfer to Bus A that I needed to get on.

I told the driver of Bus B and went to pay my fare...Only to learn that the Metrocard that my mom loaned me (I had used up mine) only had 20 cents left on it...And the bus fare is $2.25. In coins only. And I had dollar bills. I had to ask for change from the other passengers.

So the bus driver gives me my transfer ticket and kicks me off at the next stop. I'm waiting for 20 minutes in the sweltering heat (90 degrees Farenheit) and finally Bus A comes by...AND DRIVES RIGHT PAST ME! Bus A won't come by again for another 30 minutes, and I can't stay outside that long! 10 minutes later Bus B comes by, and the different driver is actually nice and agrees to take me to the end of the line for free, since the other guy kicked me off.

Now I'm about 5 blocks from a friend's house. I go there and ask for help. Unfortunately, she and her sister are unable to drive me home, and they have to go in a few minutes, but they are willing to let me sit and recover from the heat. We talk for a while, and then I have to go and find a way to get home.

Turns out that taking Bus A would be a waste of time, and the easiest way I can get home now is to walk home. For two miles. In 90 degree weather with a lot of humidity.

I just got home. What should have been a 15-minute trip took nearly 3 hours. And my parents have just come home. Next time, they're driving me back.

Oh, and I lost my sunglasses.

Poor Coffee! *hugs* Where I am (Quebec) it is, at the moment, unbearably hot, and NYC is even worse!!! .

If it makes you feel any better, I was almost kicked off a train for offering my friend my seat.

Here's the story:

I'm about to sit down when I see my friend was about to sit on the seat. I then offer him the seat and sit down on the other side. An Inspector (Dudes who patrol the seats and have a dislike for students) who espescially hates me and has a predilection for abusing his power over students tells me me and my friend were fighting and tells us to go into another cart and stay there. I calmly tell him we were not fighting and tell him I am goinfg to sit back down. When he tells me something to the effect of '' I don't want to hear it', I tell him a variation of my previous statement. He tells me then gets very mad at me and tells me to just go and sit over there, with some sarcastic comments mixed in. I tell him that I will do so, but that I would like to know his name, because I will be filing a complaint to the AMT. '' My name is your name '' he replies sarcastically, leading me into the next cart and telling me and my friend to stay there. My friend and I call the AMT and give them an account of the events, describing the inspector to the best of our ability. We never see him again.

My friend was given a 100+ $ fine for dropping a wrapper on the ground. She then picked it up, went to throw it out and was then fined.

[Orzel]

The MTA hates me too, son.
The bus pasted me 8 times in my life.

YES I COUNTED!

I was waiting 30 minutes in 90 degree F weather today too.

[omglolnub]

JW are you out past Flushing? That's the only place besides outside my school in the Bx that I've experienced ******* bus drivers.

Still, that sucks man. It could have been worse though, it could be late and you could be walking down Madison forever in -8 degree weather having left your coat at the party on the other side of the park wondering where the hell the 4 is (Lexington ave for those that don't know, 1 block over).

[Orzel]

JW are you out past Flushing? That's the only place besides outside my school in the Bx that I've experienced ******* bus drivers.

Still, that sucks man. It could have been worse though, it could be late and you could be walking down Madison forever in -8 degree weather having left your coat at the party on the other side of the park wondering where the hell the 4 is (Lexington ave for those that don't know, 1 block over).

Damn, that stinks.
Once I got late to work because the bus drivers all decided to stop their buses because they were afraid of sliding on ice on a one way Brooklyn street. Wouldn't be too bad if they send buses to make a detour but Nooooooooooo.

I got a million stories, man.

[CoffeeIncluded]

JW are you out past Flushing? That's the only place besides outside my school in the Bx that I've experienced ******* bus drivers.

Still, that sucks man. It could have been worse though, it could be late and you could be walking down Madison forever in -8 degree weather having left your coat at the party on the other side of the park wondering where the hell the 4 is (Lexington ave for those that don't know, 1 block over).

Damn, that stinks.
Once I got late to work because the bus drivers all decided to stop their buses because they were afraid of sliding on ice on a one way Brooklyn street. Wouldn't be too bad if they send buses to make a detour but Nooooooooooo.

I got a million stories, man.

Urgh, that sucks. Sorry about that, guys.

[Mystic Muse]

Yeah, the song helped. Thanks.

Yay I helped!

Also, you were right about Toy story 3. It's awesome.

[Thajocoth]

One time, I was running to catch the subway (NYC) before it left and got my leg in from the knee down.

Pushed the door... No effect.

Pushed my leg to squeeze through... No effect.

Pull my leg to get out... No effect.

Well, I know there's a signal to let the driver know the door's not completely shut, they're not going to start moving while I'm stuck there, right?

Wrong. It starts moving.

Ok, so I've got a bit of distance before I hit the wall, and I know some people have held on in these doorways and survived before (because of an MTA ad not to do that.) I can get better leverage if I manage to break the window. I don't care about a few cuts right now, I care about not hitting the wall.

Before I start punching at the window though, it stops again, and the door opens briefly. I get on.

[CoffeeIncluded]

One time, I was running to catch the subway (NYC) before it left and got my leg in from the knee down.

Pushed the door... No effect.

Pushed my leg to squeeze through... No effect.

Pull my leg to get out... No effect.

Well, I know there's a signal to let the driver know the door's not completely shut, they're not going to start moving while I'm stuck there, right?

Wrong. It starts moving.

Ok, so I've got a bit of distance before I hit the wall, and I know some people have held on in these doorways and survived before (because of an MTA ad not to do that.) I can get better leverage if I manage to break the window. I don't care about a few cuts right now, I care about not hitting the wall.

Before I start punching at the window though, it stops again, and the door opens briefly. I get on.

Holy crap.

[Thajocoth]

Holy crap.

There were at least a dozen pillars before the coming wall, and the subway only actually moved about a foot before stopping, so it wasn't too bad... But a nice jolt on my way to work to keep me awake for a while and give me a story to tell.

EDIT: Pillars as a unit of distance. The pillars wouldn't've hit me...

[Lord Loss]

There were at least a dozen pillars before the coming wall, and the subway only actually moved about a foot before stopping, so it wasn't too bad... But a nice jolt on my way to work to keep me awake for a while and give me a story to tell.

Yikes! My friend's hand was once caught in a train door, for 10 minutes no mittens at -20 degrees whilst the train moved very, very fast. He was lucky his hand didn't hit anything...

[Eldan]

Didn't you know already? Public Transport everywhere hates everybody.

Sometimes they just wait a bit before they crush your spirit.

Zurich disagrees with you. Buses every eight minutes to everywhere you need to go. Trams ever ten minutes, trains every 15.

Also, mostly clean, reasonably priced, rarely delayed...

And really, really unfriendly personnel sometimes.

[Lord Loss]

Zurich disagrees with you. Buses every eight minutes to everywhere you need to go. Trams ever ten minutes, trains every 15.

Also, mostly clean, reasonably priced, rarely delayed...

And really, really unfriendly personnel sometimes.

Agree with the last. Where I live, the trains are very very very often delayed by 15 minutes+. Sometimes the doors don't open at your stop.

[horngeek]

Zurich disagrees with you. Buses every eight minutes to everywhere you need to go. Trams ever ten minutes, trains every 15.

Also, mostly clean, reasonably priced, rarely delayed...

And really, really unfriendly personnel sometimes.

Yes, but Zurich is in Switzerland. The goats keep to a schedule there, and God help them if they break it.

[Eldan]

Haven't seen a goat for years. They must be busy elsewhere, keeping their schedule

By the way, our airline was one of the most delayed ones worldwide for a while. Don't know if they still are.

[KilltheToy]

90 degree weather with a lot of humidity.

Now I realize how great the internet is for putting things into perspective. You call this weather horrible. I call it completely average.

Oh, and I lost my sunglasses.